Article of furniture such as a chair



y 15, 1959 c. H. TURCKSIN 3,455,604

ARTICLE OF FURNITURE SUCH AS A CHAIR Filed July 1'7, 196'? 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.7

July 15, 1969 c. H. TURCKSIN .mxcm 0F FURNITURE sUcH AS A 0mm 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 17, 1967 July 15, 1969 c. H. TURCKSIN3,455,604

ARTICLE OF FURNITURE SUCH AS A CHAIR Filed July 17, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet:3

g 34 39 33 47 3a 35 35a 33 32 39 34 39 Figl I l United States Patent3,455,604 ARTICLE OF FURNITURE SUCH AS A CHAIR Christian H. Turcksin,69a Bachstrasse, Detmold, Lippe, Germany Filed July 17, 1967, Ser. No.653,897 Claims priority, application Germany, July 18, 1966, T 31,612Int. Cl. A47c /06, 7/18, 5/04 U.S. Cl. 297-441 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An article of furniture such as a chair comprising a chassis,a pivot bar at the front edge of the seat portion of said chassis, apivot bar at the upper end of the back portion of said chassis, firstand second resilient bands and a tubular coupling member, said firstband extending from said front pivot bar to said coupling member andsaid second hand extending from said coupling member to said back'pivotbar.

The present invention concerns an article of furniture such as areclining chair or settee having bands arranged between a frame actingas spring supports for the sitting and reclining surfaces and back-rest.

In armchairs and reclining chairs of this kind already known in practicethere are provided either a plurality of continuous bands or severalbands arranged independently of one another secured on both sides to actas spring support for the sitting and/or reclining surface and back restspring-support.

The continuous bands sag freely and have the disadvantage that thesitting and/ or reclining surface merges in the back-rest; this makes itdifficult to balance the body, the back portion being deficiently orunfavourably supported and sagging of the back portion promoted.

If separate bands are provided for the sitting and/or reclining surface,the sitting surface bands are stressed so considerably that they sag orhave to be very thick, whilst the back-rest bands are not sufficientlystressed.

It is an object of the invention, whilst avoiding such deficiencies, toprovide an armchair and/or reclining chair or settee with a simplespring support having a favourable effect.

In accordance with the invention in a seating and/or reclining articleof furniture such as a chair, settee or the like having bands arrangedbetween a frame to act as spring support for the sitting and/orreclining surface and for the back-rest an elastic band per se, which atthe one end is connected with the frame and at the other end with theadjacent band articulatedly to a spring suspension'unit.

In a preferred embodiment the sitting or reclining strap band and theback-rest band are freely suspended in the coupling region. Inaccordance with a further preferred embodiment the sitting and/ orreclining band is stretched over a frame journalled to the chassis, theback-rest band being able to support the sitting and/or recliningarticle of furniture. Thus, in a modified embodiment the seating and/orreclining band and the back-rest band may be provided around a commonbeam by means of hinges or the like on the frame journalled to thechassis, which frame may be divided. Furthermore it is preferred for theseating band and the backrest support band to be formed as adouble'spring suspension and to be made of a fabric having elasticfilaments extending parallel to the axis of symmetry of the article offurniture.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a reclining chair;

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FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hingedly interconnected elasticseating surface and back support of the same chair, partly cut away;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of a corner joint of the frame of thesame chair, corresponding to the fragrnentary section A in FIG. 1 andwith the seating surface dismounted;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the same corner joint;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section through a modified embodiment of asitting and/or reclining article of furniture with hingedlyinterconnected, elastic sitting surface and back support; and

FIG. 6 is a front view of the sitting and/or reclining article offurniture shown in FIG. 5.

In an article of furniture for sitting and/or reclining, such as forexample chair 10 or the like, between a preferably dismountable chassisformed by two side members 12, 13 preferably retained parallel by meansof cross struts 11, a seating band 14 forming a seating surface andhingedly connected therewith a back support band 15 acting as backsupport are pivotally suspended. These bands 14, 15 form a freelysuspended (floating) spring support resilient in accordance with thedisplacement of body weight, on which two preferably identical cushions29 may be placed to act as seating and rear cushion supports (see FIG.1).

The seating belt 14 and back supporting belt 15 comprise an elasticfabric web joined to form a tube, the warp and/ or weft filamentspreferably have cores of vulcanized rubber filaments which are helicallyenveloped by textile filaments.

This one seating surface and back support each having two tubes of equallength and varying width forming resilient surfaces are retained in ahorizontal cross direction (see FIG. 2) and so formed that the elasticfabric filaments extend parallel to the axis of symmetry of the chairi.e. in the direction of the seating surface depth and back supportheight.

The seating surface and back support suspension is so elastic and stablethat the sea-t band 14 does not sag and the back support band 15 doesnot go slack until subject to a load of, for example, five times theweight of a body.

Both side members 12, 13 manufactured as components, preferably ofprofiled tu-bingmore especially having a rectangular cross-sectionaresymmetrically arranged and on the inside surface of a front leg 16 andback leg 17 have pins 18 arranged at right angles adapted to receive thecross strust 11, which are preferably formed of the identical profiledtubing as the side members 12, 13 (see FIGS. 1, 3 and 4). An arrestingdevice 19preferably a screwto be arranged from the inside surface of thefurniture chassis connects one cross strut end with the pin 18 engagingtherein (see FIG. 4) and locates it.

The seating band 15 is preferably arranged around a tubular frame 20 andthe back support band 15 around two horizontal cross bars 21, 22 made oftubing and extending parallel to one another (see FIG. 2).

The frame 20 is preferably formed of two cross bars 23, 24 guiding thetubular seating band 14 and two connecting rods 25 connected at the endregions therewith by welding or the like, preferably arranged parallel,having a cross-section corresponding to the cross bars 21, 22.

To prevent the seating surface from becoming unsteady and to ensure areliable feeling of sitting safely at the lateral bands of the seatingband 14 longitudinally extendable from the real to the front an elasticband 26 is secured around and engaging around the connecting bar 25.These bands 26 also stretch only in one direction, preferably in thedirection of the centre of the chairfrom the connecting bars 25 to theseat band 14and are resiliently connected with the seat band 14 formedas double spring suspensionrThis provides a fourfold seat surfacesuspension and the frame 20 is covered to the corner regions (see FIG.2).

The cross bars 21, 23 on the outside of both suspension surfaces aremovably mounted and preferably with slight movement obstructingresistance to the side mem bers 12,- 13 of the chassis in each upperregion of the front legs 16 and rear legs 17 at a certain distancevarying considerably (see FIG. 1) and to hearing pins 27 providedparallel to the pins 18, whilst the somewhat shorter, inwardly locatedcross bars 22, 24 are flexibly interconnected by means of straps 28displaceably arranged on the ends (see FIGS. 1 to 3). 1

Both side members. 12, 13 are made of tubular material with across-section preferably corresponding to that of the cross struts 11with or without arm rests. To connect the individual tubular members ofeach side member 12, 13 is may be expedient to provide suitablepinswhich engage in the end of the tubular member of the adjacent part.These pin connections are firmly connected to one another by shrinkingon, brazing, welding or the like.

Two cushions 29 and preferably identical are placed at an obtuse anglerelative to one another on the seating band 14 and back support band '15and fixed laterally by the side members 12, 13 (see FIG. 1).

It is within the scope of the invention for the straps 28 to be fixedlyarranged on the frame cross bar 23 and the cross bar 22 guiding thelower back support band region to be mounted displaceably therebetween.Furthermore, the cross bar 21 supporting the back support band 15 may befixedly but detachably arranged in the upper region of the chassis. Itmay be advantageous moreover to provide on the underside of the frontlegs 16 adjusting screw for vertical compensation-in the case of unevenfioors-and to adjust the inclination of the seat surface when notsubjected to load. Furthermore the adjusting screws may be arranged inthe region of the seat frame mounting and act directly on the frame 20.

When the seat surface is subject to loading, the back rest band 15absorbs about of the weight load and stretches longitudinally, at thesame time the frame 20 together with the resilient seat web 14 pivotsabout the front bearing point, the angle between the resilient surfaceschanges and the vertex of this angle changes its position. In this casethe cushions 29 assume a position favourably supporting the body andimparting a safe seating feeling, which automatically changes inconformity with a shifting of weight. The band suspension absorbs everychange of position of the load and has a shock absorbing effect.

Such dismantleable articles of furniture for sitting of simple structureare easy to manufacture and are distinguished by a favourable springsuspension. Such a chair or the like in a dismantled state may be stowedaway in a small space and requires little shipping space. The structureand the arrangement of the bands 14, 15 may also be provided in anelongated article of seating and/or reclining furniture, for example asettee or the like, since with identical development and method ofoperation only a larger dimension is required.

The modified embodiment of an article of seating and or recliningfurniture, for example, a settee or the like in FIGS. 5 and 6 of thedrawings has a substructure 31 supported by four feet, having forexample a rectangular basic shape. On the narrow ends of thissubstructure 31 vertically upright arm rests 32 are secured which in therear region are connected to the side members 33 of the back restlaterally supported on the substructure 31 and pointing diagonallyupwards and rearwards. A cross beam 34 firmly connecting the sidemembers 33 extends in the upper end region of the side members 33.

Halfway up the arm rests 32 above the substructure 31 a carrier frame 35is arranged which for example has a rectangular basic shape and in itsfront region is equipped 4 with a downwardly extended frame 36 extendingvertically to the substructure 31. In the lower cross region of theframe 36 on the inside surface a hinge 37 is mounted which connectedwith the substructure 31 produces a hinged mounting between carrierframe 35 and substructure 31.

An elastic band 38 forming a seating and reclining surface and which issecured to the upper surface of the frame 36 and the carrier frame 35 tothe rear cross beam 35a thereof by means of tacks, staples, clamps orthe like, extends over this carrier frame 35. I

An elastic band 39 placed around the cross beam 34 and also securedthereto with its other free end is firmly arranged on the underside ofthe cross beam 35a of the carrier frame 35 and forms the back supportsurface.

Both bands 38, 39 are provided with a certain pretension, so that tworesilient spring connected surfaces are formed. To prevent the carrierframe 35 from being drawn up due to the internal tension of both bands38, 39 an elastic bracing belt 40 is provided in the lateral region ofthe seat and reclining surface, which belt on the one hand is secured tothe cross beam 35a of the carrier frame 35 and on the other hand to therear substructure 31. These bracing belts 40 assume a diagonallydownwardly facing position and therefore act diagonally downwards, whichopposite to the tensional forces of the bands 38, 39 provides a locatingof their seat and reclining and back rest surfaces. Movement of the seatand reclining and back rest surfaces upwardly and outwards is restrictedthereby, whereas movement downwardly and inwards is permitted.

In an article of seating furniture such as a chair or the like, thecarrier frame 35 has a uniformly closed form and uniformly endless bands38, 39 are tensioned.

In an article of reclining furniture, such as a settee or the like thecarrier frame 25 preferably comprises three closed individuallyjuxtaposed frames each of which being connected to the substructure 31by two hinges 37 mounted on the edge. Herewith bands 38 are stretchedover the individual frames and each frame has a back support band 39.The divided carrier frarne'35 at each of its edge cross beam regions isequipped with two bracing belts 40 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). This division ofa large reclining surface and back support surface into several smallersurfaces advantageously provides surfaces adapted to be subjected toloading independently of one another. The seat and reclining bands 38may on the one hand be provided with a foam plastics layer 41 and on theother hand the seat and reclining band 38 and the back support band 39may be provided with cushions (not shown) assuming an obtuse anglerelative to one another and fixed laterally by the arm rests 32.

In a divided seat and reclining and back support surface dividedcushions are also used. When the seat and reclining bands are subject tostress they become resilient due to their elastic and present a soft orharder supporting surface depending upon the magnitude of stress.

The hinged connection between seat and reclining band 38 and the backsupport band 39 in the common cross beam 35a and the connection of thecarrier frame 35 supporting the seat and reclining surface to thesubstructure 31 additionally provides a suspension, since hereby adownwardly pivoting of the carrier frame 35 about its connectingpointthe hinges 37 re sults, The magnitude of this pivotal movement isdetermined by the magnitude of loading, since the back rest band counteracts this movement. 1

:The division of theseat and reclining surface .into sev eral supportingframes 35 with bands 38 has the *great advantage that stresses varyingin magnitude are also absorbed resiliently varying in intensity andindependent supporting surfaces being provided. Each surface=yields inits suspension independently from the other and hence does not affectthe adjacent supporting surface.

Production of such a seating and inclining article of furniture fromWood or the like is simple and favourable in price; the embodiment ofwood, with a ready method of construction shows considerable stabilityand a reliable method of operation. Such suspensions may also beprovided in other kinds of seating and/ or reclining furniture, such asfor example in automotive vehicle seats or the like.

I claim:

1. An article of furniture, such as a chair, comprising: a chassishaving a seat portion and a back portion, the seat portion including arectangular frame having a pivot bar forming one edge thereof at thefront edge of the seat portion and a tubular coupling member forming therear edge thereof, two resilient bands for the seat portion, one passingfrom the front to the back of the rectangular frame, the other passingfrom side to side of the frame, and each band passing around two sidesof the frame, the back portion of the chassis including a pivot bar atthe upper end thereof, and a further resilient band extending from thecoupling member to the back pivot bar.

2. An article of furniture as in claim 1 wherein all resilient bands areelastic and tube shaped.

3. An article of furniture as in claim 2 wherein the elastic bandsstretch in the direction of the sides of the tubes so that the bands ofthe seat stretch in mutually perpendicular direction and the band of theback in the direction of the height of the back.

4. An article of furniture as in claim 3 wherein the elastic bands aretubular fabric webs woven from filaments having cores of rubber and withcoverings of textile filaments.

5. An article of furniture such as a chair, comprising: a chassis havinga seat portion and a back portion, the seat portion including arectangular frame having a pivot bar forming one fixed edge thereof atthe front edge of the seat portion and a bar coupling member forming therear edge of the rectangular frame of the seat portion; a resilient bandfor the seat portion extending from the front to the back of therectangular frame, the back portion of the chassis including a pivot barat the upper end thereof, the bar coupling member at the lower endthereof, and another resilient band extending from the bar couplingmember to the pivot bar at the upper end of the back portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,512,353 6/1950 Magaldino et al.297-457 X 2,771,122 11/1956 Strau'b 297-441 X 3,123,379 3/1964 Stocking297-441 X 3,222,108 12/1965 Pablos 297-441 3,348,882 10/1967 Chassaignac297-441 X CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner us. 01. X.R. 297 44 5

